Jannik Sinner's breathtaking victory over Novak Djokovic at last month's Australian Open has had a seismic impact on the UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) rankings.
The UTR is a player rating system that is instituted to provide a real-time and accurate measurement of skill level. They don't have any affiliation with the official ATP rankings. In fact, the UTR is a global rating metric that includes players at all levels regardless of their age, gender, or location.
The players are usually rated on a scale of between 1.00 and 16.50 and don't have any correlation with the ATP rankings, as is the misconception. One of the core factors in determining the UTR ranking is recent match results.
This certainly explains why Jannik Sinner has risen to the top ahead of Novak Djokovic. Sinner has defeated the Serb in two of their last head-to-head matches. Last November, he saved three successive match points in a crucial Davis Cup tie between Italy and Serbia and beat Djokovic.
Sinner carried that momentum to the new season as he sauntered to his first Australian Open semifinal last month. There, he encountered Djokovic in his path, and the Italian delivered one of his best performances to beat the defending champion in four sets.
The 22-year-old completed the job just a couple of days later, beating Daniil Medvedev to win his first Grand Slam. Sinner's UTR is 16.21, with Djokovic in second with a rating of 16.16.
Daniil Medvedev, who lost his third Australian Open final in four years, is in third with a rating of 15.97. Carlos Alcaraz, who hasn't won a title in six months, is in fourth place with a rating of 15.88.
Injured Spaniard Rafael Nadal is surprisingly in the Top 10 (sixth spot) despite only recently returning to action in Brisbane, where he reached the quarterfinal. Nadal ranked ahead of Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Taylor Fritz, and Hubert Hurkacz, who have each won a title in the past 12 months.
UTR Rankings as of February 5th, 2024:
| Rank | Player | UTR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 16.21 |
| 2 | Novak Djokovic | 16.16 |
| 3 | Daniil Medvedev | 15.97 |
| 4 | Carlos Alcaraz | 15.88 |
| 5 | Andrey Rublev | 15.87 |
| 6 | Rafael Nadal | 15.85 |
| 7 | Alexander Zverev | 15.82 |
| 8 | Grigor Dimitrov | 15.75 |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz | 15.73 |
| 10 | Hubert Hurkacz | 15.70 |
| 11 | Roman Safiullin | 15.65 |
| 12 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 15.64 |
| 13 | Nick Kyrgios | 15.63 |
| 14 | Matteo Berrettini | 15.63 |
| 15 | Jack Draper | 15.59 |
| 16 | Ugo Humbert | 15.59 |
| 17 | Ben Shelton | 15.59 |
| 18 | Tommy Paul | 15.57 |
| 19 | Alex De Minaur | 15.56 |
| 20 | Karen Khachanov | 15.52 |
| 21 | Jenson Brooksby | 15.51 |
| 22 | Tomas Machac | 15.49 |
| 23 | Adrian Mannarino | 15.48 |
| 24 | Tallon Griekspoor | 15.45 |
| 25 | Jordan Thompson | 15.43 |
| 26 | Casper Ruud | 15.42 |
| 27 | Nicolas Jarry | 15.41 |
| 28 | Sebastian Korda | 15.41 |
| 29 | Aslan Karatsev | 15.41 |
| 30 | Frances Tiafoe | 15.40 |
| 31 | Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | 15.38 |
| 32 | Stan Wawrinka | 15.37 |
| 33 | Cameron Norrie | 15.36 |
| 34 | Botic Van De Zandschulp | 15.36 |
| 35 | Miomir Kecmanovic | 15.34 |
| 36 | Gael Monfils | 15.33 |
| 37 | Holger Vitus Nødskov Rune | 15.33 |
| 38 | Sebastian Baez | 15.32 |
| 39 | Jan-Lennard Struff | 15.32 |
| 40 | Matteo Arnaldi | 15.32 |
| 41 | Marcos Giron | 15.31 |
| 42 | Fabian Marozsan | 15.31 |
| 43 | Arthur Fils | 15.31 |
| 44 | Marin Cilic | 15.31 |
| 45 | Emil Ruusuvuori | 15.30 |
| 46 | Alexander Bublik | 15.29 |
| 47 | Alexei Popyrin | 15.29 |
| 48 | Roberto Bautista Agut | 15.29 |
| 49 | Jiri Lehecka | 15.27 |
| 50 | Marton Fucsovics | 15.27 |
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